Pictures of what they look like.
Left mount.

Attached Thumbnails

     

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1983 300D
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Pictures of what they look like.
Right mount.

Attached Thumbnails

       

What about bad new replacement mounts? Any brands or supply chains to avoid? Same with trans mounts since they are part of the same picture.

The left looks not too terrible (sometimes the cracks are only surface deep) but that right one is in dire need of replacement. Mine were even worse...and thus the belt decided to kiss the oil cooler line

Glad I got that fixed....

I had my motor mounts replaced the first of this week. Both the left and right and rear. I had the dealer install em so it was around $150 total but I believe that the mounts were only about $20 a piece (the rest was the $80/hr labor), but was well worth it as I do not have the means to complete the task. One thing I did notice was that it didnt shake anymore...who would have thought

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1980 300D European
"The Red Fox"
200,000 miles

2003 Chevrolet Silverado

609 Certification

oh yeah... those little dogs are ugly.

i don't know of any aftermarket mounts available so the factory ones are the only that i have any experience with.

yeah, as they fail the metal mounting strut sits lower and lower until you have metal to metal then it will sound as if you have a gigantic caterpillar engine up there grinding away. the whole car will shake and buzz like crazy! you'll think it is going to blow up, maybe.

not really too difficult to change, just grunt work and a good jack under the engine to lift the weight off the mount. you will get very dirty.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

"you will get very dirty"

Second that.... I might even add another "very" in there.....

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Rob M
Norwich, VT USA
1980 240D Euro delivery 4 speed manual silver/blue
~160K miles

Is it easy to look at the mounts before changing them, to see if they need changing, or are they well enough hidden that you can't get a clear shot at them?

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1991 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo (207000km) (now gone)
1993 Audi 100 CS Quattro (300000km)
1999 VW Jetta TDI (290000km)
2002 Audi A6 3.0 Quattro (150000km)
2005 MB E320 CDI (34000km)

I agree...steamclean as much as possible before hand...and make it a HOT steamclean...

The easiest test I have found is grab onto the valve cover from the drivers side and just shake the engine as violently as you can. See what the mounts do (look below the injector pump).

Also if you have a helper then can put the car in gear while standing on the brakes and see if the engine tries to roll over in the bay
Mine used to rock around a LOT before I replaced it...not just just kinda quivers...

I have an untested uneducated unexperienced theory - I guess it is more like a wild a$$ guess crossed with a chin scratching Hmmmmmm?

The passenger side mount is subject to violent tension (as opposed to compression) when the starter yanks the lump to life. It (passenger side) is subject to more heat from exhaust/turbo in the vacinity.

These thoughts are based on my personal experience having viewed/worked on 1 car with engine mounts that did not have the heat shields.....In my experience the passenger side mount was in much worse condition than the driver side.....

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Rob M
Norwich, VT USA
1980 240D Euro delivery 4 speed manual silver/blue
~160K miles

I got some after market crap mounts and they proceeded to collapse in the short time I had them on less than 3-5 miles, complained to source with no response, I won't mention the name of the ever popular and much admired web based supplier of Benz parts that I no longer do business with.......Unless properly bribed

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Ron
2015 Porsche Cayman - Elizabeth
2011 Porsche Cayman - Bond,James Bond
Sadly MERCEDESLESS - ALways LOOKING !
99 E320 THE Queen Mary - SOLD
62 220b - Dolly - Finally my Finny! Sadly SOLD
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84 300SD, Benjamin -SOLD
71 220 - W115-Libby ( my first love) -SOLD
73 280 - W114 "Organspende" Rest in Peace
81 380 SL - Rest in Peace

Are you suggesting that I should get my motor mounts from the dealership?

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1991 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo (207000km) (now gone)
1993 Audi 100 CS Quattro (300000km)
1999 VW Jetta TDI (290000km)
2002 Audi A6 3.0 Quattro (150000km)
2005 MB E320 CDI (34000km)

Consider yourself properly bribed, I just bought and installed some from ebay for my W210. They looked totally different, however I think it was for the better? These were made in Germany.
Matt Hemsley
So.CA

This all sounds good until someones primer pump on the drivers side leaks and soaks that mount with fuel and degrades it.
I guess both mounts take a pretty serious hit!